Disposable applicators are generally considered to be economical for dispensing small quantities of liquids and other substances such as, for example, hand sanitizer before being discarded after a single use. However, these applicators are generally designed for dispensing small quantities of liquids. Typical amounts of liquid are less than 1 milliliter.
Utilizing similar designs for larger quantities of substance may provide non-uniform application of the substance, or may result in over-saturating a felt, cotton, sponge, or other applicator head. For example, in some designs large volumes of liquids may gush or over-saturate an applicator head causing waste or difficulty in accurately dispensing and applying a uniform quantity of liquid. Moreover, larger foam or swab applicator heads can become distorted and compressed during the folding typically needed to activate the disposable applicator. Distorted or compressed applicator heads may reduce the amount of liquid dispensing, reduce the control over the rate and uniformity of liquid dispensing and have a negative impact on liquid distribution. Additionally, this distortion or compression can result in a less flexible applicator head material surface and a reduced ability of the applicator head to absorb and temporarily store fluid in the desired area close to the application surface.
Larger quantities of fluid may be dispensed from large, complex reusable dispensers having a plurality of molded components. However, such dispensers are complex to manufacture and are not suitable for disposable single use applications. These rigid applicators are also difficult to control, such that a user may be unable to easily manipulate the substance flow rate.
Accordingly, there is an unmet need for a substance applicator system that holds and dispenses large quantities of substance. Moreover, there is an unmet need for an applicator head assembly for use with a substance applicator system that provides more control of the substance flow onto a desired surface.